Is life coaching for me?

So now you know a lot more about what life coaching is and how it works, you’re probably asking yourself: Is life coaching right for me? To help you figure that out, let’s take a look at who uses life coaching, and what kinds of issues and challenges a life coach can help you with.

Who uses life coaching?

Three surveys of coaching clients conducted by the International Coach Foundation have found that people seek out life coaches to help with several core issues (ICF 1998, ICF 2004, ICF 2009).

• Self confidence, time management and work/life balance are strong motivators for seeking coaching.
• Career opportunities, business management and work performance are also core motivators.
• Improving relationships, interpersonal and communication skills, and family dynamics are reasons people seek out coaching.
• Physical fitness and wellness are also areas clients consult with life coaches.

SEE ALSO: If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.

What kind of issues and challenges
can you bring to life coaching?

At this point in our story, are you wondering if you have the kind of life issue that coaching can help with? This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it should help you get your wheels turning about the kind of thing a life coach could help with.

Life in general

• Do you find yourself thinking that there just aren’t enough hours in the day?
• Do you want more fun in your life?
• Do you want to find a better balance? between work and the rest of your life?
• Do you find yourself putting up with clutter in your life?
• Do you want more discipline in accomplishing your goals?
• Do you need help in overcoming procrastination?
• Do you want to find ways of dealing with stress in your life?
• Do you need to become more assertive, or firm with your personal boundaries?
• Do you want to increase your self confidence?
• Do you wonder what your purpose is in life?

Career and finance

• Do you want to find a career that will truly suit you?
• Do you want to become re-inspired at work?
• Do you want help finding a new or better job ?
• Do you need help writing a good resume or answering tough interview questions?
• Do you want to get the motivation and put a plan in place to go for that promotion ?
• Do you find it hard to write and stick to a budget?
• Do you feel you need some direction planning your retirement ?

Business

• Do you want to start your own business but feel unsure of yourself?
• Do you want to start making more money with your small business?
• Do you want to develop leadership skills?
• Do you want to build stronger teams in your workplace?
• Do you want to make your organization excel?

Relationships and dating

• Do you want to be more comfortable meeting and attracting romantic partners?
• Do you want to start making better and more successful relationship choices?
• Do you want to feel more attractive and confident?
• Do you feel your current relationship needs vision or direction?
• Do you feel you could be communicating better in your current relationship?
• Do you want a more harmonious family life?

Communication and interpersonal skills

• Do you want to get over your fear of public speaking?
• Do you want to prevent misunderstandings?
• Do you want to be able to make winning presentations easily?
• Do you want motivation to finish that book you have been trying to write?
• Do you want to tap into your inner creativity?
• Do you want to learn how to be better understood by others?
• Do you want to make a great first impression, every time?
• Do you want to discover how to be more comfortable at writing emails or reports?

Health, fitness and wellness

• Do you want to be more motivated to get and stay fit, or lose weight?
• Do you want to discover ways of maintaining your health, youth and vitality?
• Do you want to start really enjoying exercising and eating right?
• Do you want to embrace a new lifestyle, but find that you keep doing the same old thing?
• Do you lose weight only to put it back on again?
• Do you find yourself comfort eating when you know better?
• Do you want help managing an illness?
• Do you want to find ways to relax?
• Do you find yourself living life on “automatic pilot” instead of being present?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, you’ve got the type of issue a life coach can help with.

Chapter 4

Go to Chapter 6